Avoid provocation in Ambalat waters: Muhyiddin

(The Star) – All parties, both in Malaysia and Indonesia, have been urged to avoid any provocative moves over the disputed Ambalat waters which have overlapping claims.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malaysia and Indonesia enjoyed good relations and no one should try to disrupt relations.

Speaking to reporters here he said he did not want anything controversial to crop up over the disputed waters and that the matter was being handled by the security authorities.

“We have to act wisely over the matter and I hope there will be no provocative action taken by any parties in the two countries.

“We don’t want any controversy over the matter,” he said after launching the Friends of the Environment programme here Thursday.

Muhyiddin was asked to comment on media reports in Indonesia that claimed that an Indonesian navy ship patrolling the waters off Ambalat nearly fired at a Malaysian naval vessel.

He said Malaysian security forces in the areas off Ambalat had performed their duties with responsibility and followed the laws and regulations.

He said the overlapping claims of the waters were being handled by Foreign Ministry and that he did not have details on the latest negotiations.

On Manek Urai by-election in Kelantan, Muhyiddin said a one-command and operation centre would be set up for all Barisan Nasional component parties there.

He said all component party election machineries would work and operate under one roof and take the appropriate approaches to woo the voters.

He said Barisan leadership had directed the election machinery to start moving early and added a suitable candidate would be identified soon.